Nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR),
as a green and sustainable technology,
is far from a practical application due to the lack of efficient electrocatalysts.
In this work, we found that antimonene, a group-VA elemental two-dimensional
(2D) material, is attractive as an electrocatalyst for NRR. The antimonene
here is acquired through chemical exfoliation of antimony (Sb) using
H2SO4 for the first time, which simultaneously
achieved efficient large-sized exfoliation and created a high density
of active edge sites. Moreover, the concentration of defects shows
a gradual increasing tendency as the treatment time extends. The obtained
antimonene exhibited favorable average ammonia (NH3) yield
and Faradaic efficiency as high as 2.08 μg h–1 cm–2 and 14.25% at −0.7 V versus RHE, respectively.
Density functional theory calculations prove that the sufficient exposure
of edge defects is favorable for reducing the reaction barrier and
strengthening the interaction between antimonene and the intermediates
of NRR, thus increasing the selectivity and yield rate of NH3. The chemical exfoliation of Sb reported here offers an alternative
avenue to engineer the surface structures of group-VA elemental-based
catalysts. Investigation of NRR using 2D antimonene can further provide
deep insight into the mechanism and principle of NRR over group-VA
elemental nanosheets.
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